LOVE ME OR SINK IN TO MY DESPAIR

Lila looked up from her breakfast seeing that Gabrielle was eating her porridge on the tables opposite side. She could tell even from this distance that something was playing on her sister's mind. She had that distant look on her face, she breathed in deeply last night she hadn't been kind to her and a part of her now felt guilty about that. It seemed that she was never kind to her older sister anymore and for the first time she realized that there was a distance starting to fall between them. It had been there for a while but it wasn't until today that she'd really seen it when they'd been eating breakfast together. Gabrielle wasn't saying a word she was eating in silence.

Xena had gone outside to help Lector the final roofing tiles which he couldn't do on his own and Xena had been more than happy to help. She could hear them as they were being shifted in to place above her. She looked at the raisins in a bowl opposite then turned to her sister who just carried on eating. "Could you pass me the raisins?" Gabrielle looked up slightly shifting the small bowl towards her sister she didn't feel like talking. She'd woken up to early and now she just felt tired and not really in the mood for anything. Lila breathed in deeply realizing that no conversation was forth coming what ever was on Gabrielle mind wasn't leaving it.

She looked up slightly. "Are you okay?" Gabrielle eyed her porridge realizing for the first time since that her sister was speaking to her. "I'm fine I just didn't have a very good night's sleep, that's all." Lila put her hands together. "Are you still throwing up?" Gabrielle looked at her half empty plate she was starting to loose her appetite. "Yes." Lila felt her eyes dart. "You haven't been well since you got back from Mexica, what did the sun god do to you?" Gabrielle looked at her breakfast she really wasn't in the right frame of mind to talk about this right now. "I don't remember Lila, I was dead, I only remember bits and pieces here and there."

Lila blinked seeing the emotional struggle as it became more intense in her sisters eyes. She eyed her bowl. "You know you should talk about it to someone." Gabrielle looked up slightly keeping her voice calm and emotionless. "I do talk to someone I talk to Xena." Lila sighed aloud. "No I mean someone else…I mean you should talk to me." Gabrielle raised both eyebrows as she looked up. "Talk to you? As if you really want me to talk to you, you barely tolerate me." She sneered slightly. "Ever since Mexica you've done nothing but poke at what I do and who I am and now you want me to talk to you?" She eyed her porridge. "Excuse me if I find that difficult to fathom."

Lila breathed in sharply she should have expected this reaction she had been very hard on Gabrielle and it was hardly surprising that she wasn't willing to be open with her now. She put her hands together. "I just want to know something and it hurts that you still won't tell me about it when it's so important to me." She felt her eyes dart. "I saw the vision I saw my daughter Sarah but where were our parents? Every time I see it, it confuses me I was older but I couldn't see them or Lector?" Gabrielle looked at her spoon now she had truly lost her appetite she looked up slightly. "Look I don't want to go in to this Lila."

Lila rolled her eyes. "You don't want to go in to this! Well I do, I want to know what you know because you've kept it hidden from me ever since we returned." Gabrielle eyed her sister for a long moment feeling no anger despite her sister was shouting at her. "You don't want to know the answer to that question Lila." Lila eyed her in disgust. "I hate that you can just sit there and say that, do you think that because you changed time that you keep this from me?" Gabrielle looked up sharply she wasn't in the mood to go through this. "There are some things in time that you really wouldn't want to know Lila and I don't keep them back to hurt you I keep them back to protect you."

Lila felt her gaze narrow. "Protect interesting choice of words when in my vision you're the one who grabbed my arm in a drunken state and hurting me." Gabrielle breathed in painfully. "Then you threw me out of the house if you remember that vision right." She stopped watching as Xena and Lector walked in through the door. Xena moved her hands putting them on her lover's shoulders. "How are you feeling?" Gabrielle smiled as the taller woman sat opposite her. "I'm feeling better." Xena eyed her half finished bowl. "You don't suppose I could have that, it's just your mother makes it really nice?" Gabrielle smiled as she gently pushed it her way. "Sure I wasn't really that hungry anyway."

Lector sat down in the chair opposite watching as Lila gave him a smile. "I'm going to the market today to sell some of your fathers bread did you want to come?" Lila felt her smile widen. "You know I think I'd like that its getting boring looking through documentation." She looked up about to say more only to stop as her father and mother entered the room. Herodotus was holding two letters in his hand and there was a dark look in his face one which made her feel uneasy. Herodotus breathed in deeply he didn't want to do this but he knew that choice was not on his side. His grandfather's games had begun and now he could do nothing to stop them no matter how much he wanted to.

He slowly placed the letters down passing one to Lila and one to Gabrielle seeing the confusion in their faces. He'd found these small folded letters slid under the door this morning when he'd awoken to get a drink before he turned on the grinding mill as he did early every morning. He had an idea who had put them there. He took in deep breath before speaking watching as both his daughters opened the letters which weren't sealed. "Your grandfather wants to see you both at the Nags Head Tavern." Gabrielle eyed the letter. "Why?" Hecuba breathed in sharply putting a hand on her shoulder. "This is a test I think it's the first."

Herodotus put his hands on the table. "The first of three I've been through them myself, the idea is that once all three are done you will submit to him willingly." Lector took the letter from Lila's hand. "Submit to him? Frankly I don't see that happening." Lila folded her arms. "I wasn't there to meet him yesterday but I get the impression from what you said he's very cruel." Herodotus breathed in deeply. "Yes he is cruel and he'll employ every method possible to get under your skins and you must not rise to any of the bait he throws you." He looked up at Lector before turning to Xena. "I want you both to wait in that Tavern even if he doesn't let you in to the room just in case."

Lector looked up. "Of course if he puts a finger on Lila or Gabrielle my self and Xena will make him wish that he had never been born." He turned seeing Xena nod in agreement as she finished the porridge in her normally calm manner. Herodotus's sighed he was not looking forward to this he turning to both his daughters. "I only ask this off you both, what ever difference you both have put them aside now, because if he sees them he will use them against you." Lila eyed her father as she stood up. "You shouldn't worry about us father we'll both be fine after all Gabrielle is great at putting people in their place." Gabrielle stood up slowly ignoring her sister's comment as she looked at the sun which was now high in the sky. "Let's go I want to get this over and done with."

8

Gabrielle walked in to the tavern watching as Xena followed her she watched as tavern keeper Aeon looked up the concern in his face. Lila walked inside the bar realizing that it was empty. "What's going on?" Aeon watched as Lector walked in. "That bastard Typhoeus told me to get rid of everyone because he wanted my taverns upper two floors to himself." He turned to Gabrielle putting down the wooden goblet he was cleaning. "Gabrielle you're a warrior you can get rid of him, right?" He paused eyeing her lover. "You and Xena could I mean." Lila breathed in folding her arms. "We don't want him here anymore than you do but we can't do much about it right now, as he's our grandfather."

Aeon blinked in shock raising his hand. "Wait you and Gabrielle are related to him?!" Xena leaned on the bar. "Yes that's just what I thought as well." Aeon paused passing her a goblet of ale which was what she normally asked for when she came in here with Lector, every now and again. "That man is vile as is the young man what's his name again?" Lector grunted aloud he hadn't seen this young man but from what he'd heard Herodotus say, it told him enough. "You mean Ixion, I haven't met him yet but I've heard that he's unsavoury." Aeon ran a hand through his short white and black beard. "Unsavoury that's putting it mildly, the boy needs to learn respect and manners!"

"Quieten down inn keeper, my grandfather is paying you handsomely!"

Lila looked up sharply watching as a young man who was Gabrielle's age walked in through the door, he had short brown hair and light blue eyes. He was very well built and about Lector's height. He was dressed in white and black leather Hoplite armour complete with a bronze plated arm gauntlets and knee guards. She felt her smile fade as he looked her over leering as he tapped his brown sandal on the ground. "Well your better looking than your sapphist sister but evidently you didn't get the bigger share in the breast and ass department though." He ignored Xena look of contempt and Lectors enraged gaze. He leaned against the bar eyeing Lector. "Oh and this must be your partner, Lector is it?"

Lector eyed him in disgust. "Yes it is." Ixion looked up as he uncapped the alcohol skin he was holding smiling smugly. "You should train your woman to be a house wife it's what she was born for." Lector folded him arms eyeing him. "Lila has the right to choose what ever path she wants." Ixion laughed slightly. "That's what all men say who are weak." Lector narrowed his gaze. "The way you speak is off a man who knows nothing, men like you wake up one day and realize that they are alone and will always be alone because everyone hates them." Ixion narrowed his gaze. "You are most amusing." He turned eyeing Gabrielle who hadn't said anything. "I have to ask what it like screwing."

He nodded in Xena's direction. "Her?" Gabrielle looked at him for a long moment before speaking calmly. "Is this your special question of the day?" Ixion blinked feeling unsure as to whether she was being sarcastic her calm tone made it difficult to tell. He sneered slightly. "Okay then, tell me do you screw her because you can't get off with any man?" Gabrielle turned slightly meeting his gaze she felt a cold smile form. "Do you think I haven't heard that comment before from others? Its gets so old after a while I was really hoping you'd come up with something more original." Ixion sneered slightly bitch some how he'd been so hoping for a response which was laced with anger, she was supposed to be a warrior wasn't she?

He took a long drink before looking up. "I'm disappointed I was expecting for you to at least amuse me a little by getting angry." Gabrielle raised both eyebrows eyeing him for a long moment feeling her cold smile widen. "I'm so happy that I disappoint you frankly though I don't believe in wasting my anger on people like you." Ixion turned eyeing Xena. "Do you get angry or are you like her, soft?" Xena felt a sneer form as she eyed him. "Do you really want to find out?" Ixion turned on his heels. "Oh I'm scared." Xena took a long drink from her ale before meeting his gaze. "The only reason I haven't wiped that smirk off your face is because you're related to Gabrielle, you should keep that in mind Ixion."

She stopped as a young woman with red hair and brown eyes appeared she didn't look up as she spoke in a small voice. "The general will see you now." She paused looking up at her two cousins and their partners. "He will only see Gabrielle and Lila no one else." Ixion eyed his sister. "You should both take a good long look at her she's my sister Eudora and an example of how you both should act in a man's presence." Lila eyed him as walked towards the door with Gabrielle. "You're not a real man so I guess that counts you out." She watched as Ixion gave her a dirty look as they passed him by. Eudora said nothing as she took them both up the stairs to the main room which she opened not daring to step through. "The general is through there."

Gabrielle eyed her sadly she knew that expression in her face it was that off a person who was so broken and no longer believed in who they were. Eudora didn't hold herself up straight and she hadn't once met her eyes or her sisters once. She was completely quite not daring to speak, what in Tartarus had her grandfather done to this woman? Lila stepped through the door watching as Gabrielle slowly followed she turned as Eudora closed the door behind them. She looked up seeing Typhoeus for the first time. He was seated in a deep arm chair dressed in an elaborate white robe he wasn't young at all he was in his sixties but despite this he was a big tall man with a lot of muscle.

He had a long black and white beard and a woven braid in it his hair which was medium length and white in place. He had numerous small scars on his face from where the weapons at nicked him. His eyes were blue the same shade as her fathers and he was as tall as Lector. She could also see gold rings on his fingers. She watched as he smiled showing off four gold tooth replacements despite being a fit man his stomach was big, no doubt from eating a lot of meat, his arms also had a few long scars on them from weapons. He put his hands on the chair arms studying her before looking at Gabrielle who said nothing as she looked around the lavish room with it thick velvet fur sheets and expensive items all which he'd brought along.

Typhoeus picked up a goblet he turned filling it with wine before meeting Gabrielle's gaze. "See anything you like?" Gabrielle eyed him for a long moment. "No." Typhoeus smirked sitting back. "Shame because I doubt I'd give any of it to you, even if you wanted it." Gabrielle shifted her boot across the bear skin rug. Typhoeus took a long drink from his goblet enjoying the rich flavour. "So you're a warrior are you? Tell me what is it that makes you such a great warrior?" Gabrielle shifted again on her foot she saw no point or reason to this and frankly she didn't want to be here, she had a more pressing concern on her mind. "I'm not like you."

Typhoeus laughed oh now this was interesting just like yesterday she was being completely calm. "Like me, interesting notion when my blood is in side you, you are in essence a part of me." Gabrielle narrowed her gaze. "There's nothing of me in you." Typhoeus leaned back. "Oh well we will soon see about that my little sapphist cur." He smirked slightly. "Speaking of which…." Lila breathed in sharply as she eyed the man in front of her who was obviously no better than Ixion. "My sister is not a sapphist cur!" Typhoeus raised his hands snarling aloud. "You don't talk unless I'm talking to you! Do you understand?" Lila stepped forward feeling her teeth grind together only to feel Gabrielle's hand push her back very gently.

She watched as Gabrielle shook her head ever so slightly making her communication as unseen as possible. She knew it's meaning through she'd seen it many times before when her sister was trying to protect her. For all the difficulty they were both having right with each other she still trusted her judgement it had saved her in Mexica and she'd trust it now. Typhoeus put a hand on his beard. "How interesting, so the warrior protects the so called council member." He turned back to Gabrielle. "As I was about to say though, why are you with a woman?" Gabrielle breathed in deeply. "It's my personal choice." Typhoeus looked up sharply as he shifted in the heavy chair. "That's an interesting way of putting it, it's a personal choice…."

He waved his hand. "Don't worry I'm not going to play on all the insults associated with that, I'm sure you've heard them all before and are bored of them by now." He took another sip of wine. "You are with Xena for sex are you not?" Gabrielle slowly put her hands behind her back. "No we are in a relationship." Typhoeus raised his eyebrows. "Don't mock my intelligence women don't have relationships with other women, you just have sex." Gabrielle shifted on her feet again gods this was just pure baiting how pathetic as if she'd rise to this she was so above it. "No we have a relationship I do not have sex if I wanted sex then I wouldn't have spent all the years I have with her." Typhoeus snorted in disgust. "What possible relationship could you have with her? She's a woman she can't give you sexual pleasure of any kind, she can't even give you children."

Gabrielle moved her hand adjusting her leather gauntlet absentmindedly. "Evidently you know nothing off the topic you're talking about, since your view is that of a man who cannot accept anything different and lives in a very small world." Typhoeus snarled he got up from his chair raising his sword. "You should watch your tongue in my presence sappiest cur I am your grandfather!" Gabrielle watched as he came closer raising the sword higher she knew what he was going to do she'd seen it before. She'd even done it to others and right now she didn't care she was just going through the motions. She watched in what felt like slow motion as he swung it towards her neck she ignored the shock and panic in her sister's face as the sword came closer its blade stopping next to the skin of her throat.

She lowered her gaze ignoring the rage in her grandfather's face as the cold blade cut in slightly causing a trickle of blood to run down her throat. She took in a deep breath how pathetic he was everything she hated, he was arrogant, forcefully and threatening. No it was more than that and she'd be lying to herself if she told herself any different. She hated him right at this moment because she could see a faint shadow of herself the drunken and violent self who had turned Mexica up side down staring back at her through his eyes. The self that her lover now accepted completely but who even now she struggled to accept as that was the self that had turned against her only family. She'd treated Itzli the Aztec eagle warrior badly and turned him in to a slave. That self had also hurt her sister in a drunken moment, she'd found it so hard to embrace that person instead she preferred to still see it as someone else and not her.

She could now completely in control of that violent rage she could focus it, mould and it restrain it, it had no power or control over her anymore. She didn't see herself as that warrior she saw herself as someone new someone lighter some one who was no longer afraid of loosing Xena. That in its self had given her so much more focus in her life and their relationship and it had allowing her to move forward. That was the real reason why this sword against her throat meant nothing as far as she was concerned. Xena was waiting down stairs and she knew her lover would always be there for her when she needed her which made this whole conversation seem so insignificant. She could have it thousand times and it still wouldn't mean anything. She eyed the blade again seeing the confusion in her grandfather's blue eyes confusion no doubt because she'd hadn't given him a reaction which was what he wanted.

She took in a deep breath before speaking calmly. "You are no one to me, you didn't watch me grow up you played no part in my childhood and you don't know my lover. Granted you two have met before on the battlefield but it has no irrelevance now. So you have no power over me and you do well to realize that quickly, because I won't submit to you the way Ixion does." Typhoeus pulled the sword away slowly eyeing her in disgust. "Brave words for a woman, but you will submit to me in the end everyone does." He turned moving back to the chair where he sat himself down eyeing Lila. "So you're a council member?" Lila folded her arms. "I'm training to be a council member I only have my final test to complete." Typhoeus laughed as he sat back. "What right do you have to be a council member?"

Lila narrowed her gaze. "Every right my sister can be a warrior so I can be what ever I please." Typhoeus smiled smugly. "Oh I see so you believe because your elder sister you can do as she please, you can to?" Lila eyed him in disgust. "Yes as a matter of fact, if there is one thing I have learnt from my sister it's that I don't have to be just a village woman I can be so much more." Typhoeus grunted aloud. "Women like you die young." Lila narrowed her gaze. "Is that a threat?" Typhoeus eyed her coldly. "Yes maybe it is, maybe it isn't. Let's just say I don't like women like you. I dislike them as much as I dislike women like your sister, who believe they can be warriors." Lila shrugged slightly seeing that Gabrielle was still being calm in all this. She felt her teeth grind together. "You don't scare me I've seen the face of oblivion, which makes you very insignificant."

She watched as a smile crept across Gabrielle's lips her sister raised an eyebrow which was a symbol that she was impressed by her comment. Lila smirked as she stepped back tapping her foot on the floor. "I also know that if you touch me Gabrielle will have your head on a platter." Typhoeus laughed only to stop as he saw the seriousness in her face. This wasn't a bluff he could tell instantly he slowly leaned forward putting a hand through his beard. "Oh really as I hear it your sister doesn't kill." Lila looked up laughing as she turned to him. "Your information on us both obviously isn't up to date then." Typhoeus narrowed his gaze he had not expected this at all, he had assumed that Gabrielle would be all mouth not Lila. Yet it couldn't be more opposite Gabrielle was completely calm he had failed to even get her angry. Lila on the other hand had only become slightly angry but not enough for him to manipulate her. Like her sister she had no fear.

He looked up slowly. "Get out." He watched as Gabrielle opened the door slowly followed by Lila, he watched as Lila followed giving him a dirty look before closing the door. He put his hands together obviously anger and fear had no bearing on ether sister. It was also clear that they were loyal to each other, he guessed that the same was true of how they felt about their lovers but he'd have to test that at a later time. He looked up he would find something soon enough, everyone had a weakness money, sex, power even loyalty it was always just a case of tapping in to it. It was clear that they both sister had strong wills but he was sure that he could get under their skin. He had all the time in the world to do so and he could stay in this peasant village for a long as need be until he final cracked and broke both these women.

End of part 14

Silvermoonlight